Retford man followed and pestered women in town centre

Court Reporter

A Retford man frightened two young women by following them and making unwanted advances, a court heard.

Christopher Stockdale started chipping into a young mum’s conversation with her sister, as the pair crossed a footbridge on River Lane, with their children aged 11 and eight months, on November 26, last year, said Robert Carr, prosecuting.

“He said: “Do you want to meet me? I’ve not had any loving for ages.””

The women walked to Morrisons car park, where Stockdale said: “I’m the best you’ll ever have. David Beckham has nothing on me. You should see my body.”

He walked ahead and waited for them, before saying: “You will never find better than me.”

He told one of the women she looked “on edge” and continued to hang about for two minutes before going into the store.

“Even two weeks later, she still felt nervous about going into the town centre in case she bumped into him,” said Mr Carr.

On December 27, a female Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was called to a report of a man urinating in a doorway on Carolgate.

She saw Stockdale speaking to a woman who hurried off. He was staggering and swaying and fell backwards into a shop window.

“The PCSO told him to go home and he was instantly hostile,” said Mr Carr.

He said: “Give us a kiss” as the PCSO tried to guide him out of the town centre, and began making a scene while children were present.

In her statement, she said she had been a PCSO for six years and “had heard all sorts of comments”, but on this occasion Stockdale was “completely out of order.”

Stockdale, 33, of no fixed abode, admitted two counts of using threatening words and behaviour when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Thursday.